Sunday, August 30, 2009

The Demon Stalks the Canyons Again...

Maybe it's because this is my first fire season as a home owner (in a hilly, brushy area no less) but the Station Fire in Los Angeles seems to be one of the worst I remember since moving to SoCal.  

I know, it's nothing compared to the fires in Australia last year, but my god, it certainly looks apocalyptic from our front window!

The clouds of smoke have a strangely mesmerizing attraction to them. They look stationary, but when you focus on any particular area you start to see that it is actually growing and boiling. 

As night fell yesterday these images gave way to an erie reddish-orange glow punctuated by flares of what must have been at least 50 foot columns of flame as some patch of scrub or stand of dead trees ignited on the mountain side. The fact that we could see fire from our porch, two freeways away, gives you some idea of the size of this thing. 
Here's hoping that the majesty and absolute horror of this particular demonic visitation ends soon. 

14 comments:

  1. Amazing photos! I hope you stay safe. Here in Arizona, we've been lucky this year, but we have had some crazy fires as well.

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  2. Gah - My whole family is in San Diego, so I keep up w/all that a bit, and I hope that it doesn't get anywhere near yoU!

    Great photos though! Hope you've been well!
    - Lindsay

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  3. Yikes. This makes me feel fortunate to live in the wet (and gray) Pac NW.

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  4. I've heard that they are now saying that fire is a living entity, it breathes, feeds, grows and dies.

    I can imagine that watching those flashes so close to your home is a little stressful. Back in February the building we were living in had a fire, going through that was an horrific experience. I hope that your experience stays that of a watcher from afar.

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  5. Awe-inspiring and frightening at the same time. May it remain distant.

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  6. Oh, wow, what great photos, but you take care.

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  7. Beautiful photos, but that's really scarey. Remember to get out when they say get out.

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  8. Amazing photos. How terribly scary, though. Hope this one gets contained soon.

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  9. Thanks everyone! TMC, the apartment I was living in last summer went through a fire scare too. Thankfully we got all our pets out ok! I hope they do contain this one soon. Very scary. And don't worry, Garden. Fires are something I have a lot of respect for!

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  10. Scary stuff! Just goes to show that nature needs to be taken seriously!

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  11. Wow! That is just so amazing! (Your photos are gorgeous.)

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  12. Thanks Splendid! And I agree, you have to take nature seriously Glowbug!

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  13. Incredible photos of a horrendous event! Here, in Greece , we also battle the blazes every summer! Sad, but reality, that our green forest are always in danger.

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  14. Supplies, I heard about that fire! Really frightening!

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